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For the second of six interviews on vegan parenting, Lauren Lockey interviewed Karen Riley, another local to Park City, and her baby boy Jack. See the interview below:

LL: What inspired you to become vegan and what is the biggest change you noticed in yourself?
KR: The health benefits!! The physician I work with is plant based. I attended one of his presentations when I first started working with him and have never looked back! The biggest change that I have noticed in myself is that I don’t get ‘hangry’ anymore right before meal times. I also can eat as many fruits and veggies as I want!

LL: Did you have cravings during your pregnancy and what were your amazing vegan alternatives?
KR: I didn’t have any animal product cravings! Though I did eat my fair share of pineapples! Also, I couldn’t/can’t live without ice cream – Ben and Jerry’s non-dairy!!

LL: Did you find it difficult to find vegan prenatals?
KR: I did find it difficult to find vegan prenatal. Many of the prenatals are not vegan. I ended up just taking folic acid (along with my normal B12 and vitamin D) as I was eating a very balanced plant based diet that contained everything I needed!

LL: What has been/what will be your biggest obstacle in raising a vegan baby?
KR: My little guy is just 5 months old right now. He is exclusively breastfed. We will be introducing foods soon, so stay tuned!

LL: What foods do you feed Jack to make sure there is adequate nutrition? What about milk/formula alternatives?
KR: Right now, we are just doing breast milk. He is right on track for growth with mom’s vegan milk!

LL: How will you handle the social pressures your child receives about eating meat and dairy?
KR: I find this to be such an interesting topic! Why do kids have to eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese!? What about the need for social pressure I make sure the child is getting adequate servings of fruits and vegetables and real food! 😊

LL: What will you say when Jack makes the connection that meat, dairy, eggs and fish comes from animals?
KR: 😬 coming from the health perspective, I haven’t formulated an approach to this yet!

LL: How do you respond to people/doctors that say “you are hurting your baby”?
KR: It’s unfortunate that individuals and providers feel that way. It is also a bummer that health care providers get such limited nutrition education in their schooling and therefore are not completely educated on the topic.

LL: What resources/blog/websites/books helped you the most?
KR: minimalistbaker.com, nutritionfacts.org. I also enjoyed reading Skinny Bitch bun in the oven as well as Vegan Pregnancy survival guide.

Please join in the conversation by leaving a comment or question below.

Despite contrary beliefs, a whole food plant only vegan lifestyle is absolutely healthy for you and your baby. Lauren Lockey sat down with 6 local mothers and mothers to be who follow a vegan lifestyle to discuss their experiences in pregnancy and raising their children vegan. These interviews will be shared one by one throughout the next few months. This was in collaboration with Raise Vegan. See the first interview with Meatless in the Mountains Jennifer Kilcomons, mother to one, below:

LL: What inspired you to become vegan and what is the biggest change you noticed in yourself?
JK: When my family got a dog for the first time, spending time with that little puppy inspired me to become vegan. The biggest change was a feeling of ‘peace’ and that I had figured out one of the meanings of life!

LL: Did you have cravings during your pregnancy and what were your amazing vegan alternatives?
JK: I had cravings for sweets, and my go-to was Whole Foods vegan chocolate chip cookies, they are amazing!

LL: Did you find it difficult to find vegan prenatals?
JK: Not at all – I just did some researching online and could find what I needed either online or at Whole Foods.

LL: What has been/what will be your biggest obstacle in raising a vegan baby?
JK: I truly believe there are no obstacles! It’s very easy!

LL: What foods do you feed Sierra to make sure there is adequate nutrition? What about milk/formula alternatives?
JK: She drinks soy milk and almond milk, and eats fruits, veggies, whole grains, lentils, beans, sweet potatoes, almond butter, peanut butter and avocados. We also give her a multi vitamin and probiotic mixed in her soy milk every morning.

LL: How will you handle the social pressures Sierra receives about eating meat and dairy?
JK: So far it has been easy, she is so young so she is always with me and I bring her food everywhere. It will be challenging when she goes to school and goes to friend’s houses, but as long as we surround ourselves with kind, understanding friends and family we should not have any problems.

LL: What will you say when Sierra makes the connection that meat, dairy, eggs and fish comes from animals?
JK: Right now we’re just teaching her to love animals, when she makes the connection we will explain that she does not have to eat these foods and hopefully she’ll understand because she loves animals, and she’s not used to that food anyways.

LL: How do you respond to people/doctors that say “you are hurting your baby”?
JK: I try to keep it short and just let them know she gets plenty of protein and vitamins from her food, drinks and vitamins. She is happy, healthy, chubby cheeks and smiles, so seeing her speaks for itself.

http://sagemtn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/vegan-info.jpg458300llockeyhttp://sagemtn.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/SageMountain-HealthPlanetAnimals@2x-720x684.pngllockey2017-08-25 20:30:172017-08-29 19:43:10Brews, Sweets and Treats: The State of the Vegan Food Scene

Join Sage Mountain: An Advocate for Farmed Animals for an evening of vital conversation and inspiration at EstePizza in Park City! We will be joined by Utah Animal Rights Coalition director and SLC Vegfestorganizer, Amy Meyer who will speak on behalf of the most recent First Amendment victory for farmed animals and update us with exciting news and speakers at this year’s Vegfest! We will also hear from local athlete and yogi, Michelle Sharer about her most recent Plant Powered Challengeand how this experience shifted her entire view on nutrition, health, and well-being. Virtual reality ianimal experiences will be available through our partnership with AnimalEquality Appetizers are being graciously donated by Este pizza. Everyone is responsible for their own pizza and beverages. The event is outside in their courtyard which is absolutely lovely on a summer night. Hope to see you there!

It has been about 1 month since 10 people finished the 10 day Plant Powered Challenge. Inspiration came from a film Sage Mountain, the Park City film series, and Vegfund hosted called “What The Health”. If you haven’t seen the film it can now be viewed on Netflix. The challenge, led by Kent Maurer, entailed consuming a whole food plant based diet for 10 days. All animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, and fish were removed from their daily food choices. Everyone learned how and what to buy at the grocery store, how to order vegan meals at restaurants, watched educational films, attended a community potluck and met the animal ambassadors at Sage Mountain’s animal sanctuary, experienced a loving kindness meditation, went on a few hikes in Park City, received new recipes and daily emails from Kent about the momentum of this movement along with answers to any questions.

Lauren Lockey recently had the opportunity to interview one of the participants, Michelle Sharer. Michelle is 26 years old and grew up just outside of Boston. She moved to Salt Lake to be near the mountains, worked as a web developer for 3 years, and now is a yoga instructor.

LL: What sparked your interest and commitment to do 10 day challenge?

MS: I follow a lot of food blogs and Instagram accounts, and those had been inspiring me for a while to try this way of eating. I loved the idea of eating whole plants because even before I knew about the challenge I was already excited about avoiding processed foods. I also watched the Forks Over Knives documentary on Netflix. I knew the challenge would be a good way for me to be able to ask all of the questions I had about going plant based.

LL: What foods were you consuming before the challenge?

MS: Mostly everything. Lots of eggs. Dairy and meat too. I avoided processed foods and I was already a little bit crazy about reading ingredients on food labels.

LL: Did you notice any immediate changes within the first few days? negative or positive

MS: The very first thing I noticed was that coffee with almond milk tastes better than coffee with cows milk! Within the first few days of the challenge, I felt different, a little tired, because I was still learning what to replace the animal foods I’d been eating with, so I ended up consuming less overall. Now I eat more snacks and add more toppings and that helped a ton.

LL: Give a few examples of some new foods/meals you discovered during the challenge

MS: Banana ice cream completely blew my mind (one ingredient – frozen bananas). I still eat it every day and every time I want to cry tears of gratitude to nature and the existence of bananas. And there are so many choices for add-ins too! Dates, peanut butter, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, mango. My favorite breakfast is oatmeal. I literally go to bed every night excited for my peanut butter oatmeal in the morning. Another current obsession is toast – my two favorites are toast with hummus and raisins, and toast with avocado and salsa.

LL: Did you ever find yourself unsatisfied during the challenge?

MS: Actually, what’s cool is I eat my favorite foods every day now. Before, I felt like I had to limit myself on things like pizza, ice cream, etc. Now I feel like I’m indulging in every meal. I stuff my face with banana ice cream every day and it feels great.

LL: what activities do you enjoy? Did you find you had more or less energy during the challenge?

MS: I love rock climbing, yoga, and mountain biking. At the beginning of the challenge I think I had less energy, but I still attribute that to not eating enough calories, but now that I know how to manage that better I feel great in terms of energy level!

LL: Are you presently plant powered?

MS: Yes I am!

LL: What was the highlight during the 10 days?

MS: The pot-luck! It was really inspiring to see and taste all of the delicious home-cooked plant-based food, AND be surrounded by amazing, like-minded individuals!

LL: Do you plan to stay plant powered?

MS: Absolutely. I wish I had started sooner

LL: What would you say to those considering this lifestyle?

MS: It might feel hard or extreme, and there’s kind of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it comes as naturally as ever. You’ll discover new and exciting things to try! Honestly, I enjoy eating more now than I did before. If someone is hesitant I would encourage them to start out by just changing one thing. Switching to almond milk or soy milk for example. Or try cooking one plant-based meal a week. Or jump in on Meatless Mondays. There are so many recipes and ideas out there and so many people who want to help you. The community embracing this way of eating is amazing right now.

You can follow Michelle on her plant powered adventures on instagramand facebook. Thank you Michelle for making such a positive impact on your health, the planet, and the lives of farmed animals and please continue to share your experience with everyone around you!!

Stay tuned for another challenge this fall. Also mark your calendars for Plant Based Utah’s first annual Nutrition symposiumthis October featuring Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Ann Esselstyn, and producer of “Cowspiracy” and “What The Health”, Keegan Kuhn!!

Granted, and unfortunately, you will never be 100% “cruelty-free” because animal products are in everything. And I mean everything. Beyond food, household cleaning products, medicine, and makeup, are all brutally, and unnecessarily, tested on animals. And those organic non-GMO veggies? They were most likely picked by migrant or undocumented farm workers, living under a cruel system/regime of oppression, non-livable wage, and silencing lack of representation. I would not qualify these fruits, vegetables, and products of industrial agriculture as “cruelty-free,” even if these processes do not involve harming animals directly.

In light of all this doom and gloom? Aysha Akhtar, M.D., M.P.H.Neurologist, public health specialist, and author, gave me a great piece of advice: “Just do your best!” In continually seeking, creating and living a life free of violence and cruelty, there will always be that one obscure ingredient that, once you’ve researched the origins, you will be forever perplexed and saddened by our society. For now? Watch Dr. Akhtar’s TED talk here, regarding all of the reasons to keep fighting this good fight and pursuing this idea of “cruelty-free” no matter how difficult. In essence? Shop locally and ethically, never be silent about oppression, and keep educating yourself and your community.

Once you are veg, keep doing your best to stay veg.

If you are new to the plant-based life — first off, welcome. Second off, fun fact: Cheese has the same addictive properties as hard drugs. Because of this terrifying scientific fact, cravings are real. I get it. Even after many years of a vegan lifestyle — those can randomly rear their ugly heads. If there is something specific? Reach out to one of our Sage Mountain resources to ask, “Why do I miss fish so much?” or “I just can’t give up cheese,” etc. These are real questions with real answers and we live in a day and age when it is easier than ever to be vegan — with the right information, awareness, and understanding. So jump on it — reach out to any of us here at SM or local, incredibly knowledgable plant-based fitness and nutrition coaches: Lexi P., of element xii, Courtney Pool, etc.

Remind yourself why you went veg in the first place and surround yourself with support and community.

I would argue that people give veganism or plant-based living a bad wrap because of these fabled “vegans” themselves. But, you have to wonder why we are such a minority and why it is so wild for an individual to step back, say no, and abstain from consuming death and suffering at every meal/in their daily routine. I will never understand that by making the choice to go veg we become such a nuisance to society. Yes, vegans are outraged, and angry. But for good reason. We are not here to shame and blame you. We must understand that there are larger actors and systems at play here. And we are more angry at the society that continues to profit off of animal lives. The moment you open yourself up to the awareness and consciousness that is plant-based living, it is hard not to react with an incredulous, “How did I never know that milk is only produced by grieving mother dairy cows, after their baby was taken from them?” and other such sentiments.

It is hard enough having every meal, social gathering, restaurant visit, and drive down the interstate be a reminder and space of violence towards animals. You can not fight the good fight, sustainably and progressively, if you are weak, sick, or too depressed to go on. Compassion fatigue is real — and we must be wary of it as humans with our busy routines, plus this added layer of complexities and advocacy. Self Care is a must. Meeting other like-minded individuals helps in feeling less alone or weird in this social movement.

Be gentle to yourself, animals, and others. There is an unhealthy amount of infighting in the plant-based, vegan, and animal rights movements. And these schisms between this community of like-minded, progressive individuals will only do more harm than good in pushing the momentum. If a veg individual decides to, for whatever reason, re-integrate animal products back into their lives — then that is on them. It is okay to feel angry and disappointed with that person, but do not shame and blame and kick and scream and yell, or call them a “sell-out”. This will only further wedge the divide between the individual and the veg-lifestyle/community. This is where that bad taste in the mouth comes from, and subsequently, the distaste for “vegans” in general. It is wasted energy and resources spent shaming, guilting, or pressuring people back into being fully veg. And it is not sustainable. People should make the transition to plant-based living for themselves, or whatever reasons feel right for them — that way, they are more likely to stay veg, and, as so many of us have realized, thrive. Take your vegan rage and channel it into new avenues — write your political representatives about the dismal state of animal agriculture, host a fundraiser for your favorite animal rights organization, or, meet up with youth in your community and have an honest conversation about all of the wonderful reasons to adopt a vegan lifestyle.

Art by Sue Coe.

I understand it is easy to be frustrated with friends and family who remain [or return to being] stubborn omnivores. Most of my immediate environment of kin is not veg whatsoever. And that is okay. Remember, this world, unfortunately, revolves around the use and abuse of animals, and it is not “normal” to be vegan, yet. But the tide is shifting. And it is getting easier, more accessible, and celebrated by governments, health organizations, celebrities, and individuals alike. Do not lose your temper with people who have not yet had their eyes opened to the truth, or the windows opened into slaughterhouses. Or those who believe the self-congratulatory lies that the dairy and egg industries are profiting off of daily [see resources regarding these “happy farm animals” such as the Humane Myth, “Cage Free,” or Free Range Fraud].

You do you. And do your best. Keep fighting. For yourself, for the animals, and for this planet. Continue fostering these honest and vital conversations of awareness and advocacy. Because it matters. And this is a brave, valiant and hard fight. We are all here for you. And we must do this together.

In June, Dexter Mel Thomas, a Salt Lake City resident, was voted the 2016 PETA’s Sexiest Male Vegan Next Door. This news has rocked international headlines because Dexter is PETA’s first-ever out transgender winner.

I don’t recall the exact moment I met Dexter. It may have been at an animal rights protest against Lagoon’s abominable zoo a few years back, or it may have been in a fit of mutual commiseration on the University of Utah campus where he and I are both doctoral students. Wherever it was, I am so grateful our paths have crossed, because Dexter has always been such a brilliant, brave, resilient, and compassionate force to be reckoned with.

PETA’s bio of Dexter reads as such:

Dexter has been vegan since age 17 and even led a successful campaign for vegan meal options in his high school cafeteria—but he dropped out because of the adversity he faced as a transgender student. Dexter was determined to become the best advocate for animals and homeless LGBTQ youth that he could be, so he obtained a GED, graduated summa cum laude from college, and is now a Ph.D. student of social psychology at the University of Utah.

“I learned first-hand that people are capable of immense cruelty toward others who they perceive to be inferior to them,” says Dexter. “When I started to realize that this attitude drives transphobia, homophobia, sexism, and so on, I also realized it fuels outdated attitudes toward other animals. This is part of what motivated me to go vegan when I was 17.”

Among many other efforts to help animals and humans, he has worked to oppose rodeos put on the Utah Gay Rodeo Association—highlighting the link between the oppression of human and nonhuman animals—and volunteered at the Utah Pride Center, serving as a mentor and an activity organizer for LGBTQ youth. Before pursuing his Ph.D., he spent almost two years with the National Institutes of Health researching ways to promote health and well-being, including understanding cyberbullying of sexual-minority youth, combating the allure of unhealthy food, and promoting healthy plant-based meals.

I am beyond excited for Dexter and the recognition, celebration, and light he is shining on the devastating effects of gender inequality across the globe, and its parallels to the animal liberation movement. “I am beyond excited and honored to win,” Thomas told VegNews. “Especially now during an extremely dark time for LGBTQ+ people. This is welcome and important because this isn’t about me. This is recognition that reflects the heart of many people who have chosen to stand tall and to extend love and kindness. There are so many different kinds of beauty in the world. Trans is beautiful, diversity is beautiful, and compassion is beautiful.”

I have come to understand that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere and that all oppression is linked. I am so inspired and excited by advocates and activists, like Dexter, who are fighting the good fight on all fronts — against the silencing and marginalization of animals, humans, and the Earth alike. Here’s to YOU, Dexter!

This week, Dexter will be one of our featured speakers at our July Thirsty Thirsty Thursday event taking place Thursday, July 7th, 7pm at Zest in Salt Lake City. Facebook event can be found here. The event is open to the public, though the venue is 21+. A portion of the food and drink sales will go directly to the Sage Mountain mission.

We hope you can join us on Thursday — for what is sure to be a vital, progressive, and powerful dialogue and a truly enjoyable evening!

http://sagemtn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/dexter.jpg640960http://sagemtn.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/SageMountain-HealthPlanetAnimals@2x-720x684.png2016-07-05 17:27:492016-07-06 04:07:02"Sexiest Vegan Next Door" to Speak at this Week's #ThirstyFirstThursday

Last week, we at Sage Mountain hosted 2016’s inaugural #ThirstyFirstThursday at the High West Distillery in Wanship, Utah. Our two speakers, Jenn from Meatless in the Mountains, and Nurse Kate from Resilient Body Nutrition were phenomenal. The food and cocktails were remarkable, and overall, the event was incredible and we are so grateful to all who made the trek up there. See photos from the event here.

What with our summer-month Thursday gatherings kicking off — I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the exciting happenings in our local plant-based community here in Utah:

We have yet another finalist in PETA’s Sexiest Vegan Next Door campaign
[last year’s winner was also a Salt Lake native and creator of the amazing Mexican Buffet at the Mi Ranchito restaurant, Victor]. In the 2016 finalist category is Dexter who, as described on PETA’s website, “is a transgender activist who believes that everyone deserves equal consideration, respect, and compassion, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race or species. As a researcher, he uses his expertise to advocate for non-animal test methods, including during his time working for the National Institutes of Health.” VegNews recently picked up his story and is worth the read, here.

We are so excited for you, Dexter! This is an awesome step for equality on so many fronts! Thursday is the last day to vote for Dexter (June 9) — so please vote, here.

Have you heard the news that Salt Lake will be hosting its very own VegFest this September?
We are so looking forward to this free and open to the community (vegans and omnis alike) celebration of all aspects of veg-lifestyles. There will be fitness demos, food samples and vegan restaurants represented, environmental education components, animal rights groups, and, hey, we will be there with a table and our Condition One Virtual Reality set up — come visit! The date is Saturday, September 10th from 11am – 6pm at Library Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. The best way to support the up and coming VegFest? Stand with Utah Animal Rights Coalition by becoming a supporter of their efforts to pull off Utah’s very own VegFest. Stay tuned for updates on the VegFest Facebook event.

Our friends over at The Big O Doughnuts opened their store front in Salt Lake City last weekend!
If you haven’t tried one of their heavenly plant-based, innovative flavored, delicious sugar rings you best get down there and buy a dozen. You won’t regret it. The family team behind this shop is awesome and absolutely deserves our whole-hearted community support. The store is located on 171 E. Broadway in SLC and is open 8am – sold out, Wednesday thru Saturday. Stay connected with their Facebook page for flavor updates and storefront availability.

Last but certainly not least, mark your calendars for our next #ThirstyFirstThursday event happening Thursday, July 7, at 7 pm at Zest in SLC! Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more info to come!

The best way to further the plant-based, vegan, or animal rights movement is to support one another — animal and human alike. I encourage you to get out there, connect with other plant-eaters in your community and keep fighting the good fight.

For this week’s blog we wanted to highlight another inspiring and local plant-based individual. We caught up with Lexi Purrington, a Salt Lake City-based nutrition coach and personal trainer, and powerful advocate for the animals.

Lexi and her beloved/rescued pitbull, Amelia. #adoptdontshop

Sage Mountain: When and why did you decide to go vegan?

Lexi Purrington: I began experimenting with veganism somewhat on accident. I remember hearing how bad dairy was for your skin and how meat attributes to weight gain. As a pre-teen that was enough to get me started. At first it was completely about the way I looked. I had gotten myself into a bad spot where that was the only thing in the world that mattered, but ironically ended up saving my life on the same type of “diet”. A few years later, I began reading about the hidden animals of the industry and what exactly went on during the process of slaughtering them. Today, I remain vegan for the animals, the environment, my health, and human rights.

SM: What has benefited you most about being vegan?

LP: Watching how my body has changed, and seeing the amount of energy I have increase year after year, has been the biggest benefit. My heart and bones have gotten stronger, my endurance is longer, and my recovery time is much shorter.

SM: What sort of training do you do and how often?

LP: I train 5-6 days per week for an hour each session. I typically pair body parts together like back and biceps, glutes and hamstrings, etc. I incorporate cardio at the beginning of most of my workouts and typically train with weights and resistance machines.

SM: What do you think is the biggest misconception about vegans especially being an athlete yourself? And how do you combat those myths?

LP: People often say that vegans are fragile or weak, or somehow get placed into a feminine category (i.e. real men eat bacon/hunt). I work hard every day to show people that we are just as strong, fast, and powerful as everybody else. It’s become somewhat inspirational to me to “beat the odds” and show just how tough we can be.

SM: Love that. What do other trainers/fitness folk think of you being vegan and what is the most common question you are asked?

LP: Where in the world I could possibly get my protein. Honestly I had never even given protein a single thought before getting into the fitness industry but it seems that everyone has this crazy obsession with it. It’s literally in almost everything and I think what a lot of people don’t realize is that it can actually be dangerous to overdo it. Most trainers I meet use that as an excuse as to why they would never go vegan but what they do not understand is that it’s just as convenient to get the right amount from plant-based sources, and much easier for your body to digest.

LP: It definitely varies from day to day but I regularly consume a lot of nuts, nut butters, alternative milks like almond and soy, leafy green vegetables and plenty of tofu/tempeh in order to get a good mix of calcium, protein and iron.

SM: What is your advice to those looking to get stronger/gain muscle? What is your advice to those looking to lose weight?

LP: Always prepare, be patient with yourself, and don’t get too comfortable doing the same thing. For people looking to gain muscle, I recommend higher weight/lower reps and individually training muscle groups each week. For people trying to lose weight, I recommend mixing up their cardio routine and incorporating weightlifting in order to up their metabolism. All of this can not be done without fueling your body with the right foods so be sure to incorporate a diet rich in fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and whole grains.

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Huge thanks to Lexi for taking the time to speak with us and share some of her incredible insight, knowledge, and health-tips!

We encourage you to reach out to Lexi for any further inquiries regarding nutrition, meal-plans, and personal-training.